Part 21 (2/2)
”The sooner the better; faix, I niver had much notion o' this fiery style o' life; it's only fit for sallymanders and bottle-imps. But when d'ye begin work, lad?”
”To-morrow, I believe. At least, I was told to call at the office to-morrow. To-day I have an engagement.”
”Ay, an' it's time we was under weigh,” said Captain Ogilvy, taking his nephew by the arm. ”Come along, lad, an' don't keep them waiting.”
So saying they bade the smith goodbye, and, leaving the forge, walked smartly towards that part of the harbour where the boats lay.
”Ruby,” said the captain, as they went along, ”it's lucky it's such a fine day, for Minnie is going with us.”
Ruby said nothing, but the deep flush of pleasure that overspread his countenance proved that he was not indifferent to the news.
”You see she's bin out of sorts,” continued the captain, ”for some time back; and no wonder, poor thing, seein' that your mother has been so anxious about you, and required more than usual care, so I've prevailed on the leftenant to let her go. She'll get good by our afternoon's sail, and we won't be the worse of her company. What say ye to that, nephy?”
Ruby said that he was glad to hear it, but he thought a great deal more than he said, and among other things he thought that the lieutenant might perhaps be rather in the way; but as his presence was unavoidable he made up his mind to try to believe that he, the lieutenant, would in all probability be an engaged man already. As to the possibility of his seeing Minnie and being indifferent to her (in the event of his being a free man), he felt that such an idea was preposterous! Suddenly a thought flashed across him and induced a question--
”Is the lieutenant married, uncle?”
”Not as I know of, lad; why d'ye ask?”
”Because--because--married men are so much pleasanter than--”
Ruby stopped short, for he just then remembered that his uncle was a bachelor.
”'Pon my word, youngster! go on, why d'ye stop in your purlite remark?”
”Because,” said Ruby, laughing, ”I meant to say that _young_ married men were so much more agreeable than _young_ bachelors.”
”Humph!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the captain, who did not see much force in the observation, ”and how d'ye know the leftenant's a _young_ man? I didn't say he was young; mayhap he's old. But here he is, so you'll judge for yourself.”
At the moment a tall, deeply-bronzed man of about thirty years of age walked up and greeted Captain Ogilvy familiarly as his ”buck”, enquiring, at the same time, how his ”old timbers” were, and where the ”bit of baggage” was.
”She's to be at the end o' the pier in five minutes,” said the captain, drawing out and consulting a watch that was large enough to have been mistaken for a small eight-day clock. ”This is my nephy, Ruby. Ruby Brand--Leftenant Lindsay. True blues, both of ye--
”`When shall we three meet again?
Where the stormy winds do blow, do blow, do blow, And the thunder, lightenin', and the rain, Riots up above, and also down below, below, below.'
”Ah! here comes the pretty little craft.”
Minnie appeared as he spoke, and walked towards them with a modest, yet decided air that was positively bewitching.
She was dressed in homely garments, but that served to enhance the beauty of her figure, and she had on the plainest of little bonnets, but that only tended to make her face more lovely. Ruby thought it was perfection. He glanced at Lieutenant Lindsay, and perceiving that he thought so too (as how could he think otherwise?) a pang of jealousy shot into his breast. But it pa.s.sed away when the lieutenant, after politely a.s.sisting Minnie into the boat, sat down beside the captain and began to talk earnestly to him, leaving Minnie entirely to her lover.
We may remark here, that the t.i.tle of ”leftenant”, bestowed on Lindsay by the captain was entirely complimentary.
The crew of the boat rowed out of the harbour, and the lieutenant steered eastward, towards the cliffs that have been mentioned in an earlier part of our tale.
The day turned out to be one of those magnificent and exceptional days which appear to have been cut out of summer and interpolated into autumn. It was bright, warm, and calm, so calm that the boat's sail was useless, and the crew had to row; but this was, in Minnie's estimation, no disadvantage, for it gave her time to see the caves and picturesque inlets which abound all along that rocky coast. It also gave her time to--but no matter.
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